What they say

Editor's Note: African leaders will attend the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation next week. They commented on the partnership with China on various occasions, and here are some of their views.

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore

said in an interview with CGTN on Aug 23: “My trip to China is a very important mission. It will allow us to consolidate the cooperation between our two countries within the win-win partnership and the principles of legality and transparency in our relations. We also believe that this is an opportunity not only to boost cooperation between our two countries, but also for the region and Africa as a whole, since we are participating in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

said at a meeting with a visiting Chinese official on June 27 that he is looking forward to the visit to Beijing in September to deepen ties between Egypt and China. “Egypt is keen on furthering the mutually beneficial cooperation with China,” Sisi said, adding that he welcomes Chinese companies to invest in Egypt and participate in the country’s development.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

said in an interview with CGTN on Monday that China has been a very important strategic partner in all of Ethiopia’s development efforts.

“FOCAC is all about cooperation between Africa and China. I expect to discuss ways of taking our bilateral partnership forward by defining key future areas of cooperation. This is a great opportunity for us to express our feelings toward China, and I hope we can change the discussion into win-win cooperation. The forum itself mainly aims to make our cooperation win-win.”

Ghanaian President Nana AkufoAddo

said in an interview with CGTN on Aug 9: “There are many examples of benefits to us from China, and on top of that, Chinese companies are proving to be very successful in their contribution to the development of our economy. We believe the cooperation with China will bring us great value. China also benefits from cooperation with Africa. And this mutual benefit between Africa and China is going to be consolidated when we come to Beijing.”

Guinean President Alpha Conde

said in an interview with CGTN on Aug 16: “We are very satisfied with the relationship. Our cooperation with China is not limited to that between governments, but also between people.” The upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will take cooperation between the two countries to a new level, especially under the framework of President Xi Jinping’s new policy, he said.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta

said during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Sun Baohong on Sunday that he is committed to fully implementing the Standard Gauge Railway project. “It is my hope and prayer to see this SGR project to conclusion. My ambition is to see this new railway reach Lake Victoria, not only for economic viability but also to link manufacturing all along the way.”

Liberian President George Weah

recounted China’s numerous contributions to Liberia and said that the contributions will always be remembered by the government and people of Liberia. “Liberia and the People’s Republic of China have a longstanding relationship, for over 40 years; the relationship continues on the path of growing stronger for the benefit of the peoples of both Liberia and China.”

Rwandan President Paul Kagame

said after a meeting with visiting President Xi Jinping on July 23 that the growing relationship with China is based as much on mutual respect as on mutual interests. “More generally, China relates to Africa as an equal. We see ourselves as a people on the road to prosperity. China’s actions demonstrate that we are seen in the same way. This is a revolutionary posture in world affairs, and it is more precious than money.”

Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio

is confident that the existing friendship with China will continue to grow from strength to strength in the coming years at a commissioning and handing over ceremony of a disease prevention and control center. “The construction of the facility will not only further strengthen our bilateral relationship but will serve as a major boost to Sierra Leone’s health delivery in the human development portfolio in a new direction.”

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi

said when meeting with a visiting Chinese delegation on June 29 that Tunisia attaches great importance to boosting its relations with China in all fields. He expressed a willingness to boost Tunisia’s exchanges with China, solidify the friendly bilateral ties and welcomes more investment and tourists from China.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni

said when meeting with a visiting Chinese official on June 22: “The potential for cooperation between China and Uganda is big. What we want is a reliable market for agro-products. Once we have the demand, we can produce whatever is needed.”

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa

said when meeting with President Xi Jinping’s special envoy Su Hui on Sunday that China and Zimbabwe are “allweather” friends, and he has been looking forward to attending the FOCAC Beijing Summit and meeting with President Xi to discuss Africa-China and Zimbabwe-China cooperation. He wished the summit complete success.